|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 7, 2012Mike LondonCOACH LONDON: Yes, very important home game this Saturday against, as is mentioned, the Coastal leader in our conference, the Miami Hurricanes. Coach Golden and I have known each other for quite some time. Even back to the Boston College days with Tom O'Brien. So they're playing well, and we look forward to the challenge as they come here this Saturday in Scott Stadium. Q. Obviously there must be a different feeling around the team this week after winning a game. Have you kind of sensed spirits lifted and increased confidence now to make a stretch run? COACH LONDON: Well, there's always a level of optimism, particularly after a game you practice for well and you're able to achieve some of the goals that you set out for. That was turnovers and not give the ball back. Though we had one turnover but to hang on to the ball in that regard. And just played really good sound defense or scored on defense or scored every quarter in that game and have played a really smart game. When you have things like that, you can use it as examples to the players that if you execute or do what you're supposed to do, then the results can be positive for you. So with that game behind and this game forward, it's all about, again, paying close attention to the details of the game planning and the preparation and things like that to play a very fast and athletic Miami team. Q. I noticed that Kevin Parks has played well for you. Recently two 100‑yard games in the last three. What's he been doing well? COACH LONDON: When you look at our backs, all of them have kind of a role that they take and utilize, whether it's a special teams role or third down role or Perry Jones who can get in there every down, first, second, and third down. Kevin is for his stature is very stout, big legs, very strong. He's sort of a downhill runner. Some runners his size are kind of jump‑cut kind of guys. But Kevin over the last couple years has shown that when he has an opportunity to run the ball downhill and he has an opportunity to run over or run through arm tackles, that he's shown that. So I think just being his strength, such a low center of gravity, he's very rugged, and he can catch the ball too coming out of the back field. So it makes him a multi‑dimensional type of player. But his ability to really hit it downhill, down field is something that is a positive for us. Q. You're playing so many guys on your defense that are really young. One of the veterans that you have is Jake Snyder. I just wonder what he's meant sort of as one of the more experienced players on that unit? COACH LONDON: Well, that's a great question because we lost Billy Schautz early on. And Jake became the elder states man, the guy that's been in football games before. He consistently grades out a winning percentage because he's just a smart football player. He knows understands formations, down and distance. He reads stances. He can communicate well with the guys up‑and‑down the line of scrimmage. So when you have guys with that type of experience, and there is a big play in the game, and the emphasis of the detail of playing the play correctly, he's able to share some insight even for a brief moment to those guys particularly down line guys who get several young players. But he's able to get that sort of insight prior to the snap. When you have a presence like that on the field, it helps in the overall production, and overall execution. Jake has done a great job for us. Actually still has another year of eligibility. We're lucky to have him and he's very important to the defense. Q. Is he one of those guys you just plug in there and don't worry about him because you know he's going to do his job? COACH LONDON: I believe so.  I believe he studies the game. He understands the game. As I said before about the quality that's he brings to the table as far as knowing the game. You can count on him. He's a reliable player. So he may not be the fastest guy off the edge, but he'll work to put himself in position to make a play. As I said, it's like having another coach on the field, particularly for those down guys with Brathwaite and Dean, and Eli Harold, all those young guys out there. Coaches aren't standing out on the field when those plays are called or those defenses or those one‑time big third down stops or big plays, he's able to communicate to those young guys. Q. Far be it for me to check out Twit ter or anything like that. But it seems like a lot of your guys were talking about voting, and seemed to be excited about going to find the polling place, and read where one guy was going to drive home during the afternoon a couple of hours to vote. What did you tell them about voting? Did you encourage them to vote? Did you say anything? Were you worried they might be out on the road? What was your take on the whole thing? COACH LONDON: No, my take, and as I told them, to be able to vote in America is a God‑given ability and right and opportunity for everyone. It's a process in which you can participate in and talk about what should have been done or what needs to be done, then you can get involved in the process. One way to do that is to make your voice heard by voting. It's a Democratic process that this country is founded on. So for them, coming from the University of Virginia, and as strong as the school is with its academic reputation, to be involved with government and to be involved in what's going on, I think to me is a no‑brainer. So a lot of them had the opportunity to do that and expressed excitement about doing it. Just standing in line and seeing the process, as you walk through, you have to provide your I.D., just all those different things. That's another life experience that a student‑athlete here at the University of Virginia can enjoy. Q. I wanted to ask you about the two‑quarterback philosophy. It's working for Georgia Tech. It's working for you guys. Why do you think that is? Because sometimes it doesn't, but it's been successful for you guys, especially last week. COACH LONDON: I think we've been down the try this guy, try that guy approach, and it got to the point where both of them have talent. As I always say, skill sets in terms of running our offense and executing it. The other thing is both of them are selfless. They're both guys that actually like each other. Some people think that guys are adversaries because of it. But they split reps in practice, and it's allowed us to do some things offensively to take advantage of those skill sets that they have. The other thing is they both have bought into it. There's not an ego between Michael or Phillip. We have to get the job done when we do this. We will win. That's all that matters to them. That is the bottom line of trying to prepare whoever it is to go into a game and help us win. So we'll continue that approach here. Hopefully all the way through the end of the season, whatever that may be. Q. How do you decide how to use them in terms of do you go into the week saying, okay, you're going to play this series, you're going to play that series? Or do you let the game dictate how that plays out? COACH LONDON: It's a little bit of both. Not very scientific. Say you're going in for the first series, and it's two plays and it's out. The situation may dictate what and who, where the ball is, what is the score just different things. But it's a process as we go along as the game is being played. Coach Lazor and the offensive coaches upstairs, and the looks that they're getting consistent or not consistent is something that they keep in mind before making any substitution patterns or starting substitution patterns. So we'll look to find those moments again that will be best, not only each guy, but best for the team. Q. I know you gave Luke Bowanko the offensive player of the week. What went into that? What did you see from film of how he did? Just how has he made that transition so far from guard to center? Seems like he's adapting to it at this point in the season? COACH LONDON: Yes, he is. Actually it was co‑offensive players. It was Kevin Parks and Luke. Kevin for his 115‑yard rushing total. But Luke has done a really nice job of handling the front. Most offenses your center identifies the Mike linebacker or identifies the potential blitzer, and Luke does that. He does it regardless of the fronts and the movements and things like that. This is a guy that had a shoulder surgery right after the bowl season last year and then right there in the summer had his other shoulder done. So he's a tough guy, but he's a smart guy. As I say, he's got another year himself. He's just really blossomed into being a good football player. When your center position can make the calls at the line of scrimmage and get you rechecked in terms of blitzes and stunts and things like that, that's pretty good. I've been here where sometimes the quarterbacks do it. I've been where Elton Brown may have played tackle or guard, and he'd do something like that. You like the guy that's in the middle to handle the ball 100% of the time and be definitive about the call that's need to be made, and Luke is that kind of guy. Q. He's got such a big personality. Does that help with communication, I guess, on that line? COACH LONDON: Well, he's a true student‑athlete. He never has any problems in class. He's engaging in class. He's a great teammate. He's got a personality. You're right. He likes to have fun. He's taking care of his body. A guy that's had two shoulder surgeries and has put himself in a position to play well, play strong, play smart he's got to have a lot going on for him and Luke does. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|